Longitudinal trends in cardiovascular mortality and blood pressure levels, prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the Czech population from 1985 to 2007/2008.

Objectives: To assess longitudinal trends in cardiovascular mortality and population mean blood pressure, prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in a representative Czech population sample from 1985 to 2007/2008.

Methods: Source data on mortality rates were provided by the Czech Statistical Office and further processed by the Institute for Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic. Six independent cross-sectional population surveys were conducted in 1985, 1988, 1992, 1997/1998, 2000/2001, and 2007/2008 with randomly selected men and women aged 25-64 years and resident in six districts of the Czech Republic (Praha-východ, Benešov, Pardubice, Chrudim, Cheb, and Jindřichův Hradec).

Trends in blood pressure levels, prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the Czech population from 1985 to 2000/01.

Objective: To assess trends in blood pressure (BP) levels, prevalence, awareness, and control of hypertension in the Czech population from 1985 to 2000/01.

Design: Five independent cross-sectional population surveys conducted in 1985, 1988, 1992, 1997/98, and 2000/01.

Setting: Six, mostly rural, districts of the Czech Republic (Praha-východ, Benesov, Pardubice, Chrudim, Cheb, and Jindrichův Hradec).

Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the Czech Republic. Results of two nationwide cross-sectional surveys in 1997/1998 and 2000/2001, Czech Post-MONICA Study.

Hypertension is an easily diagnosed and eminently modifiable risk factor for the development of all clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis. Despite the availability of a simple, non-invasive, and rather accurate method of measuring blood pressure (BP), and overwhelming evidence that reducing BP effectively prevents cardiovascular events, hypertension at the population level is not managed optimally. In 1997/1998 and 2000/2001, two surveys for cardiovascular risk factors were conducted in nine districts of the Czech Republic, involving a 1% population random sample aged 25-64 years in each district.

[Longitudinal trends of total and HDL cholesterol in a representative population sample in the Czech Republic].

Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death in the Czech Republic. Since 1984 there is a decline of the total and cardiovascular mortality in the CR which is due to a decline of the mortality from IHD and cerebrovascular disease. Within the framework of the MONICA project in 1985, 1988 and 1992 in six districts of the CR screening examinations of cardiovascular disease risk factors were made.

Evaluation of the effects of fixed combinations of sustained-release verapamil/trandolapril versus captopril/hydrochlorothiazide on metabolic and electrolyte parameters in patients with essential hypertension.

The objective of this randomised open, active controlled, cross-over study was to evaluate the effect of a fixed combination of verapamil SR/trandolapril compared to captopril/hydrochlorothiazide on serum lipids, lipoproteins, and other metabolic and electrolyte parameters in patients with essential hypertension. Another objective was to assess the efficacy and safety of both combinations. One hundred hypertensives with systolic blood pressure 140-209 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure 90-119 mm Hg were evaluated after 16 weeks receiving a fixed combination of verapamil SR 180 mg/ trandolapril 2 mg (VT) or captopril 50 mg/hydro- chlorothiazide 25 mg (CH) both given once daily.

[Development of smoking habits in the population of the Czech Republic from 1985 to 1997/98].

Background: Tobacco smoking belongs to high risk factors for the circulation diseases. Aim of the present study is to identify and describe smoking habits of the population in nine districts in Czech republic in years 1997/98 and in six of these districts to analyze smoking trends during the period of 1985-1997/98.

Methods And Results: Information on the smoking habits were collected in years 1985, 1988, and 1992 in six districts which took part in the international project WHO MONICA.

Intima-media thickness of carotid arteries in borderline hypertensives.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease on the process of subclinical atherosclerosis in originally borderline hypertensives. The relation of far wall common carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT CCA) measured by B-mode ultrasound to smoking, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, lipids, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism was analyzed. In 48 subjects examined (mean age, 61.

[Serum lipid and lipoprotein levels in children in relation to their dietary habits and parental blood cholesterol].

In a group of 2000 Prague children aged 11-12 years the distribution of serum cholesterol levels was assessed. For further investigations 100 children with cholesterol levels above the 95th percentile (HYPER) were selected and 100 children with values between the 5th and 10th percentile (HYPO). Children and parents were subjected to detailed clinical and laboratory examination, in children the three-day dietary intake was assessed.

Cholesterolaemia in school-age children and hypercholesterolaemia aggregation in the family.

The distribution of cholesterol values was established in a group of 2,000 Prague children aged 11-12 years. Of these, 100 children with cholesterol values exceeding the 95th percentile (HYPER), and 100 children with values between the 5th and the 10th percentiles (HYPO) were selected for follow-up. In addition to a thorough clinical and laboratory examination in children and parents, three-day food consumption was registered in children.

[Trends in body weight in the population of the Czech Republic].

The authors investigated the development of body weight of the population from six districts in the Czech Republic participating in the international WHO project MONICA. The examinations were made within the framework of epidemiological studies of risk factors of IHD in 1985 and 1988 in 1% independent population samples (range 25-64 years). The mean values of body mass index, BMI, increased in the above three-year period in men from 26.

Education and the risk factors of ischaemic heart disease.

Screening for the risk factors of ischaemic heart disease among the male residents of the district of Prague 4 aged 40--49 years was undertaken under the "National multifactorial primary preventive study of myocardial infarction and stroke". Of the 11 091 men invited, 5395 met the defined criteria and were admitted to the study. 58% of them were included in the risk group.

Angina pectoris and middle-aged man.

The incidence of some risk factors of ischaemic heart disease in men aged 40-55 years is compared with the presence and absence of angina pectoris (AP). Patients with positive AP had significantly higher values of the blood pressure, serum cholesterol level, and ponderal index. The frequency of probably pathological and possibly ischaemic changes was likewise significantly higher in the group with AP.